Strong tremors were felt in several parts of North India during the wee hours of Saturday after an earthquake of 6.5 magnitude jolted Afghanistan.
Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan reported tremors around 12:44 am. However no casualties or damage were reported in India.
Tremors were shorter in duration but strong enough to generate panic. Reportedly, people across Chandigarh, Srinagar, Jaipur and Delhi-NCR rushed out of their homes during cold and chilly midnight after the shock waves.
The earthquake of moderate intensity had its epicentre in Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan, around 280 km northeast of its capital Kabul.
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According the US Geological Survey, the quake had a depth of 203.5 kilometres. Tremors were also reported in Pakistan including cities such as Peshawar, Lahore and Islamabad.
Most parts of North and East India right from Jammu and Kashmir lie in the Seismic zone 4 and 5. In the foothills of the Himalayas, the Indian plate and Eurasian plate meet while moving in the opposite direction. The Indian plate moves towards the North and the Eurasian plate moves towards the south.
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